Shelter: Critical Mass
by Aozoran
Summary: Fourth In The Shelter Series. Wheeljack has always been searching for something that will ease the itch that lives within his spark that forces him to travel the stars... what he finds is far more than he ever dreamed he would.
1. Part 1: Sandstorm

**Author's Note: OMG I LOVE THIS STORY! It's going to be so much fun to write! I really really hope you guys like it! It seems the other story I might write alongside this one or after this one will be Blaster and Soundwave's as it seems is common concensus. **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing.  
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><p><strong>Autobot Shuttle <strong>_**Variance**_**, Atmosphere, Chaonis-Ki, Edge Of Decepticon Controlled Space**

The thin atmosphere of the moon created a small corona of heat around the underside of Wheeljack's small craft, the ship barely vibrating with its descent. Hands moved across the panel before him, quickly inputting commands to the thrusters and slowing even more, cruising in low through the swirls of sand that had managed to form even in the thin air of this planet. The small cockpit was filled with the same message repeating over and over again over the Autobot distress frequencies, the voice being one familiar to Wheeljack.

Blue optics half closed in pain, fingers clenching ever so slightly at the thought that that voice brought back to him, one of the Wreckers, one of his teammates. With it, his mind returned to Bulkhead, remembering the flash of anguish in his friend's optics to know that once more Wheeljack would be blasting off into the endless void, wandering between stars searching for something he had yet to find. There had to be something… _something_ out there that would ease the aching emptiness that existed within his spark, something that would complete what was broken.

At one point he had thought he had found that with Bulkhead, for those vorns they had been shoulder to shoulder as brothers on the battlefield, yet even that precious friendship had not been enough. He had always been chasing after that illusive memory file, which would teasing him the astrosecond he woke from a recharge cycle, the feeling of gentle hands, a voice that eased his spark like no other had or since. No matter how he struggled to place it, he could not.

But something called him to this region of space that bordered on the main expanse of Decepticon territory, something had drawn him in close enough to be able to pick up the signal he was now responding to.

Sand blanketed everything, swirling up in blinding waves, half blinding sensors and howling against the hull, forcing Wheeljack to use every trick he knew to stay on course. The entire ship bucked and wrenched hard against his control, the alarms were blaring loud and screaming at him to pull up, but he refused, holding fast to the controls. Wheeljack was not one to retreat, and with the thick swirling blasts of sand would come some shelter from Decepticon sensors if any patrol remained on this world. There had been no evidence of any, but that did not mean he would not be cautious.

Gritting his denta, he pushed forwards, determined to face off against anything that stood between him and the Autobots that were in need of assistance. Though Wheeljack couldn't help but feel that he might just be too late.

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><p><strong>Decepticon Ore Processing Facility,<strong> **Chaonis-Ki, Edge Of Decepticon Controlled Space**

Wind whipped sand up in brilliant clouds of golden dust, which caught the last dying rays of the distant local star, they spun around him, tickling against his wings and almost making him shiver. His optics dimmed as he gazed down at the body of the Autobot at his pedes, his spark ringing with his sorrow at the senseless deaths that he had been again unable to prevent. Intakes hissing slightly as they were again filled with sand, he dropped back down to his knee joints, sliding the makeshift digging tool deep into the sands against one wall of the former Decepticon ore processing plant, again sweeping away the drift and rubble that had come down off the walls.

It was a slow task, but one he did, knowing it would be best to bury the dead where no Decepticon would look for them. He did not have the spark to reduce their frames to ashes to hide the bodies of the fallen and keep them out of Decepticon hands. Eventually he stood, his slender arms hooking beneath those of the limp Autobot in his grip, he dragged him backwards, stumbling and slipping in the constantly shifting dunes that came and went within seconds around him.

Laying the body into the deep pit he had created, he dipped down and slipped a hand beneath the chassis armour, his fingers curling around a signal component and drew it free from its position between armour plating. The small glittering crystal no bigger than the very tip of his smallest finger glinted in the light, a small part of the communications systems of every bot, the crystal was one that carried a bot's individual frequency.

"You will not be forgotten. Your name will be forever remembered. May all that you have done within this lifetime granted you peace." The words were hard to get out, yet, Thundercracker forced them past his lips, his head bowed before repeating an ancient Cybertronian prayer for those who offlined. The medic felt a damp tear slowly trail down his cheekplate, the grief that overwhelmed him surging upwards and choking him. The crystal was carefully added to a glittering mass of a thousand others, the tiny crystals chiming together in the wind, swaying and casting a tiny rainbow of light over the body of the fallen Autobot.

How often had he repeated this? How many dead had he visited both Decepticon and Autobot that had been unable to be saved?

Carefully tucking the crystals safely back into subspace he dropped to his hands and knees in the dust beginning to cover the body with the gentleness of one laying the dead to rest. It was the least he could do for his failure. He had been unable to reach them… his screams had echoed through the broken shell of the ship, the mech fighting against the tight bonds in order to get to the three strong crew who had been so badly injured in the head on crash into the side of the facility that they had leaked out right before him, their sparks departing their frames…

If only they had listened to him. If only he had been able to prove the fact that he wasn't in fact a _Decepticon_ but a long time Autobot agent… but they would hear nothing of his 'lies'. He was just grateful that they had not killed him straight off.

There was a whisper of sound, only a moment of warning. The Seeker's body tensing as he was about to reach for his weapon when the cold bite of metal slipped between his wings and helm and pressed down against the back of his neck. Instantly he froze, still resting on his knees beside the half buried body of the Autobot Wrecker. Inhaling sharply, he attempted to keep down the flutter of fear that jolted through him knowing that one slice straight downwards and he would know nothing more.

"Decepticon scum." A low growl came from just behind him, the blade pressing and actually marking the outside of his plating. "Don't move or I'll end your existence right here."

Thundercracker's hands clenched into silent fists, his violet optics staring down at the face of the mech who had said pretty much the same words to him only an orn before. The grey facial plates were still and smeared with energon, death gazing out at him from grey lifeless optics. A bitter little laugh actually did escape the medic that time, his head drooping forwards, optics shuttering. "He said the exact same thing to me."

"Did you kill him, 'Con?"

"He killed himself." Thundercracker couldn't find it in his spark to honestly prevent himself from snapping at the Autobot behind him, the senseless deaths of the three Autobots haunted him and sparked such anger within him at their inability to listen to him. "So did the other two."

"No Autobot would…"

"Don't you fragging tell me no Autobot would!" His anger burned and he couldn't control it as grief struck him hard in the tanks, making him quiver ever so slightly with the force of it. The loss of every Autobot haunted him, seeing such good mechs and femmes die tore at everything he was. "I told them. I slagging told them I was an _Autobot_ Agent, but did they listen? NO!"

Wheeljack stood just behind the Seeker stunned by the words and also the defiance the Decepticon showed in the face of his blade, even though there was a slight expression of fear, this mech had not cowered and he respected that. However, Decepticons were known for their treachery and he wasn't about to be stupid enough to trust anything that came out of his mouth. "What happened?" He demanded, blue optics gazing down at the half uncovered bot who was being buried beneath a layer of rubble metal sheeting and sand.

"What do you _think_ happened?" A hand waved in the direction of where a ship had gone smashing through the walls of the processing plant around them, the burning wreck sitting half way up one wall, twisted with its nose crumpled. Black lines of charring ran around the cockpit of it and up the walls. "I was _restrained_ in the rear section, probably what saved me." The last comment was whispered with a hint of bitterness. "The three Autobots were in the front section and were injured."

Wheeljack's optics focused on the arm that had pointed to the ship, noting the only slightly healed marks around the slender wrist, clear demonstration that the words were true. "Injured?"

"Dead _now_. I could not get to them quick enough."

Wheeljack's free hand caught the Decepticon's forearm, lifting it to examine the wound, and was surprised by the sight of the mech's fingers. The long delicately jointed servos were those with extra sensor receptors like he had seen on Ratchet and other medics. Medics were _rare_. Though this one was a Decepticon, but if… what if what the Decepticon was telling the truth? His optics returned to the body being buried and scowled. "What are you doing?"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" And the Seeker turned to face Wheeljack as the pressure eased up on his neck, his head tipping back and gazing straight into pale blue optics. Surprise immediately registered on Thundercracker's face as he recognised the mech who stood over him. "Wheeljack." Relief practically surged through every circuit Thundercracker possessed, however his optics glanced towards where the Autobot's hand was still gripping his forearm, a thumb brushing against the edges of the long wounds in his wrists.

Confusion flickered through the Wrecker's expression as he gazed down into a face that made him want to swallow around the sudden lump in the back of his vocals. Now this was what Seekers should look like, unlike Starscream. Beautiful features greeted him, violet optics a touch wide as they gazed up at him, the mech's armour was a sky blue, the edges of the plating done in silver. Wings swept up and away from the lithe body, the tips of them twitching and making him want to reach out and stroke the edge of one and see if they were as sensitive as they were rumoured to be.

"Let me finish burying him, Wheeljack, before another patrol comes back. I do not want his body disturbed by Decepticons, we both know what they do with the bodies of Autobots."

The white Wrecker actually did release the mech, stepping back away from him, his optics flickering at the words and sheathed his weapon, though it was clear the Seeker knew the moment he tried to reach for his own he would end up run through the spark. As the mech worked, Wheeljack studied his surroundings taking in everything that he saw and only glanced down when the mech finished, leaving only nothing but sand and rubble visible.

His optics glanced upwards towards the ship, knowing that he would need to examine the wreckage and recover anything useful.

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><p>Thundercracker's violet optics lifted in surprise when something cool was pressed into his palms, his optics widening when he realised it was a canister of energon. The sweet scent of it made him almost smile, though his gaze flickered upwards to regard the Wrecker who stood over where he had been once again trussed up and left while Wheeljack examined the ship and its black box recorder.<p>

"Why would I bother doing anything to it?" He commented, moving across to one of the open storage spaces, he began pulling out materials and ammunition, actually realising that half of what was taken out belonged to the medic on the floor behind him. Tools, medical supplies clearly adding to the Seeker's declaration. "Only cowards use poison."

Reassured, the Seeker was downing the contents, relief flickering across the mech's fine facial plates, only to find Wheeljack staring at him when his optics drifted open again. "Thankyou."

The mech let out a grunt, before turning back to what he was doing, setting aside what would be useful and fit into his ship's cargo hold and what he would need to destroy to keep it out of Decepticon hands. Yet, his gaze couldn't stay away from the Seeker for long, aware of the mech's presence even if he was perfectly silent and still most of the time. Sparks of excitement tickled through his components, a sensation he had only felt before in battle, the only thing that had been able to ease the constant itch that drove him from planet to planet.

"What will you do with me?" Thundercracker questioned, shifting back and allowing his wings to spread against the wall as he leaned back, his head dropping back against the bulkhead. His bound arms rested against his drawn up knees, keeping himself out of the mech's way as much as possible as Wheeljack moved around the tight confines of the ship.

There was only a slight shrug of the mech's shoulders in answer to the Seeker's question. It was the only way for Wheeljack to cover the fact that he knew he couldn't kill this Decepticon. There was no true explanation as to why a 'Con would actually bury the dead of his enemies and… pray over their remains, because that was what he had caught the mech doing. Could what the Seeker say be true? He knew of Thundercracker, of the fact that the mech had once been a part of Starscream's Trine, one of Megatron's most trusted minions.

"Why?"

Thundercracker unshuttered his optics, his gaze flickering up to glance at Wheeljack for a long moment. "Why…?"

"If what you say _is_ true, why did you change sides?"

"Who ever said I was ever truly a Decepticon?"

Wheeljack contemplated that, before continuing his work, stacking them against where there was a jagged hole in the side of the ship. "Spy?"

"Yes." Thundercracker let out a quiet sigh, just allowing his gaze to follow Wheeljack as he moved, appreciating the strength inherent in every movement. "I'm not the only one, but I was finally being allowed to pull out. Roadbuster caught me just as I was escaping the base I was assigned to, realised I was a medic and I was carrying supplies." He nodded in the direction of several of the containers. "Decided I was better alive then dead for information. Shoved me back here…" Violet optics sparkled with a hint of amusement. "For an orn, thought keeping the energon from me would get the 'truth' out of me."

It almost sounded _believable_ when it came from Thundercracker.

"The war is going to end soon."

Now that had Wheeljack's attention, his optics dropping to regard that beautiful face for one long moment. "Decepticon victory?"

The Seeker shook his head and smiled. "Autobots win. The lead agent of the Dark Guard is soon going to make his move." The smile soon turned into a brilliant grin, lighting up the violet optics with hope and anticipation. "Megatron's fall will be swift with the information he carries of their plans and tactics."

Now this information was priceless. There would definitely be no swift death for this Decepticon, not with the possibilities of what information he could carry.

"I was meant to be meeting him on Earth." A soft laugh escaped the beautiful Seeker. "You've already met him, he saved you from Starscream. I heard about the rather amusing tale of Makeshift's destruction." Fingers made a little gesture for an explosion and grinned up at Wheeljack. "Good riddance to that treacherous coward."

Wheeljack's blue optics actually widened in shock, his memory files replaying a single scene again and again within his processors. The time Starscream had been ready to plunge those long deadly fingers deep into his chassis through his armour and slash apart his spark and fuelpump, it had only been the timely intervention of Soundwave that had prevented his death. _Soundwave_. "Impossible." Soundwave was known to be the most loyal of Megatron's troops, always hovering in the background silent and plotting.

"_Right_." Thundercracker rolled his optics. "Soundwave is loyal to one mech and _one_ mech alone, his bondmate Blaster. He volunteered to remain with Megatron and gather information, relaying it back to the Autobots when he could through his bond with Blaster. How do you think the Autobots survived so long? Do you honestly think a bunch of mostly scientifically minded pacifists could compete against a driven gladiator from Kaon? Take a long hard look at what you know, Jax, think about it like you would any battle."

Wheeljack's mouth opened, nothing came out, his gaze staring down at Thundercracker.

"Starscream might be incompetent, but not _that_ incompetent."

"Primus." The Wrecker breathed, his mind whirling with the possibilities. "If what you say is…"

"Oh yes. We've been busy little spies." The medic's lips twitched, his body relaxing and knew that maybe, just maybe he would be able to convince Wheeljack to take him to Earth so that he could join in the final push against Megatron. "Trust me… what I just told you is only the tip of a very, very large object."

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><p>"Jax!"<p>

Wheeljack's optics flickered once, his blue optics only slowly becoming aware of the fact that he was practically nose to nose with a very beautiful Seeker whom was half sprawled across him. His head lifted from where it had been resting against one wall, his gaze immediately assessing the situation, but only seeing Thundercracker's concerned violet optics. "What?"

"The patrol."

The moment the word escaped Thundercracker's lips Wheeljack heard the distant buzz of engines which had been shielded by the same sandstorm that the Autobot had used to enter the atmosphere of the moon. It was the only warning that they got. He launched himself forwards, suddenly slamming his larger body against that of the slender Seeker, his hands forcing those wings apart as not to crush them as he shielded the mech with his body against the floor plating of the ship. The entire spaceship bucked wildly, around them as an explosion tore through one side of the ship, sending it screeching forwards, dislodging it from where it had ended up halfway through the wall of the main facility.

Debris pelted Wheeljack's back, bouncing off his armour as he forced the mech's helm against his throat, only to feel arms loop around him. The intimacy of the contact was shocking as Thundercracker positively coiled himself around Wheeljack, arms moving downwards to actually hook beneath the Wrecker's own, the bonds stretched across the mech's spinal plating. He didn't realise why until the ship screeched a protest as several more explosions tore through the entire thing.

The contents of the ship immediately sliding down towards the cockpit and so were they, sliding until a sudden weightlessness surrounded him, holding them in a cushioning bubble of an anti-gravity field as they ship smashed through massive pieces of equipment. The ship shredded apart around them, heat bursting over them as they floated slowly downwards, shrouded by smoke and wave upon wave of flame as the remaining fuel tank ignited.

Wheeljack was practically dangling from the Seeker's grip, the only reason he hadn't been smashed to pieces against the sharp toothed stone mill. For long moments they drifted, buoyed up before they dropped like a stone.

The Autobot coiled his arms around those beautiful wings and the mech pressed against him, shielding him as they impacted hard, the Wrecker taking the brunt of the fall, rolling them again and again until they crashed sideways into the side of one of the flaming pieces of ship.

"Release me." Thundercracker squirmed in Wheeljack's arms, his violet optics staring up into the Wrecker's face. "Jax, please."

They both lay tangled together, heat searing over their frames, choking their vents with acrid smoke.

"Frag it. Undo the cuffs."

A dozen pairs of pedes sounded against the metal plating as the patrol was coming in for their heads.

"I can fight." Wheeljack breathed out, blue optics half glazed as the first sparks of pain flickered up along one of the mech's sides. The shock of the fall beginning to wear off and he realised… something was buried deeply in his side. With every draw of smoky air into his body, pain shafted up through him.

"And you can slagging die too." The medic's lips pursed together, gaze narrowing. "I won't let you offline on me. I need time to repair that wound… time I don't have here and now."

"I…can fight…"

"I know." Thundercracker whispered, before his mouth suddenly caught Wheeljack's, a devastating kiss being pressed there, making the Wrecker shiver with the intensity of it. It was like nothing Wheeljack had ever experienced, heady and all consuming as their helms pressed together lightly, when he pulled away enough to gaze into his face. "But I need you to trust me, _later_."

Wheeljack hesitated for only a moment before reaching behind them, fingers moving over the cuffs and they sprang free, before he slumped forwards. Vision blurring, he felt his entire frame slowly being shifted, the stab of burning metal slowly easing from his body, small sparks of agony jerking through him as he felt several ruptured fuel lines be spot welded. His swords were drawn from their sheathes as Thundercracker stood over him, the same blade now pressed against the back of his own neck between helm and armour. All he could do was desperately hope that his trust had not been misplaced.

Several pairs of pedes entered Wheeljack's line of spotty vision, his head tipped to the side as he lay on his chassis, a slender pede resting on the small of his back.

"Commander Thundercracker we…"

"I do not need your excuses. You _fools_! I was almost damaged by that careless attack of yours." Optics narrowed on the dozen Vehicons surrounding them, his jaw clenched and violet optics burning fiercely. "I wish to have access to your communications grid _immediately_, I have information that Lord Megatron will find most interesting."

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><p>Hehe Do you like it?<p> 


	2. Part 2: Swerve

**Author's Note: I am so glad so many people like this story! I'm looking forwards to seeing Wheeljack get in some of his explosive action soon. **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing unfortunately.**

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><p><strong>Decepticon Warship, <strong>_**Vicious**_**, Deep Space**

Awareness was slowly to return to Wheeljack, his side throbbed slightly, the pain of the wound nothing more than an ache on the edge of his sensor net. It was clear he had been given something to numb his sensors, his mind seemed to drift in a sea of quiet bliss. Even though he knew every inch of his frame should be screaming in response to the damage inflicted and the fact that he was on his knee joints, his arms twisted back over his helm at an awkward angle that would be hell on his shoulder joints. Repairs had been done, that much he could tell.

His head lifted slightly, vision swimming in and out, his mouth filled with a heady sweetness, the trickle of something wet sliding down from the corner of his lips. Was that what had awakened him? It should have stung, the blow of an open palm against one cheekplate, yet, all he felt was that soothing numbness. Helm tipping back, he gazed into the violet optics of his Seeker, the mech's hand still held from where it showed it had been Thundercracker to deliver the blow, there was a spark of guilt and apology in those beautiful optics as they watched him, before they vanished an instant later as the medic moved away from him and he spied the others in the dank chamber that reminded him of too many similar brigs he had dwelled in at one point or another.

"The legendary Wheeljack." A blue and crimson Seeker prowled close to the doorways, fingers twitching and showing him that he was itching to get his hands on the bound Autobot. "Quite the prize…" Crimson optics flashed in Wheeljack's direction, showing a hunger to be the first to gain answers the old physical way.

"A prize that belongs only to me." Thundercracker's jaw clenched as he shifted again, his gaze narrowing angrily on the aptly named 'conehead'. "_I_ captured him."

"Most impressive." A black seeker rumbled from against the wall beside the doorway. "I am surprised you…"

"Do not anger me, Trinemate." And this time there was a deep menace in the medic's voice, one that made Wheeljack re-evaluate his former prisoner with a new degree of respect. "You remember what happened to the last Seeker that challenged my authority." Lips turned upwards in a nasty little smile, violet optics darkening with threat. "And what happened to you when you betrayed me."

A shudder rippled along the length of the mech's frame, ruby optics darkening with remembered humiliation. "You haven't changed one bit, Thundercracker."

"Nor have you Skywarp." Sky blue wings lifted upwards, the tips vibrating with strong emotion, but it was not clear which. "How is that piece of _flimsy_ software? Or did he abandoned your berth the moment he realised you could no longer…"

"Enough!" Skywarp bristled, his optics narrowing on his former Trinemate, knowing that he was playing with fire that was quite willing to burn him.

Wheeljack's optics widened ever so slightly, his gaze flickering to the beauty who had protected him, having a feeling he knew exactly what it was that Thundercracker disabled in retaliation for being betrayed by a lover. He could honestly say if he ever had a taste of that graceful frame again he wouldn't be a fool Skywarp clearly was. The taste of Thundercracker remained on his lips, spicy and all-consuming, he definitely wanted more.

"Still crippled."

Skywarp snarled something vicious at Thundercracker that just made the medic smirk in response, violet optics glimmering with a shadow of some emotion. Moments later Thrust vanished out the door behind the now enraged Skywarp leaving the two alone once more.

"Remind me to never make you angry." Wheeljack lifted his head slightly, only to shutter his optics in appreciation when two palms cupped his face and supported it, thumbs brushing over the tingling cheekplate which had been slapped.

"Clever bot." Thundercracker couldn't help a smile, his violet optics lighting up as if he had just been given the entire galaxy as a gift. "Sorry." He whispered, still caressing Wheeljack's cheekplate, a fingertip lingering over the scars around the mech's lips, feeling the heated air tickle across them with every gentle exhale. "I had to be convincing."

"Understandable." The Autobot Wrecker gazed up into that face and knew he would never again doubt this mech's words. His spark knew it was no trick, screamed that any doubts he had ever had about him had been severely misplaced. He was fascinated by this Seeker, by the many facets of his personality. What would it be like to spend every day with this mech?

"We are on the Decepticon Warship, _Vicious_." Thundercracker was dropping to his own knees before the Autobot, palm smoothing against badly scratched white armour. "I am currently the ranking officer on this ship, even Skywarp won't challenge me over possession of you. Thank Primus for some small mercies."

"What will happen to me?" One optical ridge lifted in question, though his lips quirked upwards at the corners, shifting a little uncomfortably as his joints were slowly starting to protest again as the numbness was seeping away.

"Are you aware of what usually happens to Autobot prisoners on Decepticon Warships?"

"I've heard the rumours." Though that had definitely caught his interest, his optics flickering over the beautiful face only a few feet from his own, his gaze drifting up along the length of one wing, watching it twitch in response to his gaze. "Spoils to the victor?"

"_Exactly_." The Seeker couldn't keep his hands off the Autobot, his fingertips stroking over broad shoulders, tracing along every scar and scratch, learning them and committing them to memory. "Mine." A fingertip tapped right over Wheeljack's spark, violet optics darkening with the first flickers of arousal.

A jolt of lust screamed through Wheeljack at the possessive look in that direct gaze, every part of him responding to those touches to the wild desire that flared through every part of his sensor net. "I do not like sharing." Wheeljack's jaw lifted, his shoulders twisting slightly so that he could sit up a little more properly even though the chains coiled around his wrists made the action awkward.

"Do you have any idea what it takes to fully sate a Seeker?" One blue optical ridge lifted in silent enquiry.

"I would enjoy the challenge of finding out." Even though some part of his mind was whispering that this was inappropriate, he ignored it with a grin on his face.

Standing, Thundercracker's expression went from playful to dangerous, gaze sharpening as his back straightened and he strode away from Wheeljack and to the doorway. Stepping through, his optics glinted as he regarded one of the Vehicons standing to one side of it. "Bring him to my quarters." His lips curved into a tiny smirk. "I have a feeling pain will not gain us anything from him."

As the Seeker strode down the corridor, he heard the two Vehicons enter the cell behind him.

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><p><strong>Battle For Hydrax Plateau, Hydrax Plateau, The Rust Sea, Cybertron [Past]<strong>

_The ground wouldn't stop shaking. Explosion after explosion tore through the entire installation, sending plumes of toxic smoke wafting high into the air, smothering the entire landscape in a thick blanket of black. Battle cries echoed off the shattered towers and rendered metal, adding to the chaos as the Wreckers continued their assault on the Decepticon Hydrax Spaceport. _

_Amongst the swirling debris, a single Seeker dragged a badly charred body through the wreckage, until tumbling back into a deep trench created by one of the heavy mounted laser cannons that had scarred the battlefield before the massive collapse of several of the buildings. Long wings were slashed and twisted painfully, yet the soot blackened mech continued to drag the wounded Autobot deeper into the shelter of the wreckage. _

_Finally letting the mech sag down onto the ground, he was down on his knee joints, his hands pulling at stinging hot armour that still smoked from the brunt of the blast the mech's face and chassis had taken from a magnesium round. Flinging the shreds of armour aside, he was quickly assessing the damage, his violet optics catching a glimpse of the brilliant spark glittering from within the shrapnel damaged spark casing. _

_Energon seeped out from everywhere, where hot metal fragments had seared through vital fuel lines. Every inch of Thundercracker's arms was spattered with droplets of fluid, warm and sticky, leaking out across his fingers. The spark flickered, the brilliant blue having faded into a weakened grey, pulsing rapidly, the fuelpump was labouring to push what fluids remained around the blasted open body. _

_A sickening gurgle escaped the mech's vocals, badly damaged optics flickering dimly up at him, the light fading away once… twice… _

_"Don't you fragging dare!" Thundercracker shouted at the mech, wincing before his entire servo slipped into the mech's chassis, components protesting the invasion, as his fingers closed around the labouring fuelpump. Squeezing it slowly, he forced connections between his own systems and that of his patient, forcing the metal organ to slow, to ease pressure behind the leakage. _

_Lips parted, a sound escaping a whisper, the shivering slipping out of those limps as they began to droop limply onto the ground, blue optics almost completely grey beneath all the damage that had been done to the mech's face. _

_The precious spark was fading too rapidly. Thundercracker couldn't spot weld the leaks fast enough to keep the energon flowing to shrieking systems, the mech was going into shock. _

_"NO!" _

_Just as the first of the Decepticon bombs slammed into the ground just a few yards from their hiding place, Thundercracker threw himself over the body of the Autobot known as Wheeljack. His frame coiling around the Autobot, his own battered armour was parting, spark vibrating as it was soon being introduced to that of the Autobot beneath him who had grown completely still. As the spark lifted itself from the shattered frame it struck right up against Thundercracker's, the Seeker's spark forcing the Autobot's to remain. _

_"Coward!" The violet optics glared down into the face of the mech beneath him, his hands moving over every inch of that frame, repairing what he could, refusing to let this one die. "You _coward_. Running away." _

_Thundercracker's entire body suddenly jerked as his optics widened and he gasped for air, his entire frame shaking as he dropped forwards, his fingers curling slightly while that spark slipped into his own, merging without hesitation. Intimate connections were forged between them, the Seeker allowing the Autobot to take what he needed, energon flowed through uncoiled microscopic fuel lines. _

_Memory files fluttered across his consciousness, faces unfamiliar to him… emotions… so many things tumbling over and over one another. For a moment he caught the glimpse of vibrant blue optics staring at him, a handsome face reflecting a determination that touched something within the Seeker, marking him as nothing else ever could. A wash of something so intimate it was almost painful coiled around both of them, heat and ecstasy waiting to be unleashed. _

_"Oh… Primus…" He whimpered, his helm dropping to rest against the curve of the mech's throat. Heat spiralled up through his systems, burning him from the inside out with a surprising flash of pleasure. Thundercracker didn't even realise for long spark beats that arms had coiled around him, gripping him weakly and cradling him closer. _

_"My… guardian…" Wheeljack's voice was rough and brittle, but held a hint of wonder as blue optics gazed down into violet for one astrosecond. "Primus… must exist… if he sent you… to me." _

_The Seeker's mouth opened once, no sound emerging at the unconscious praise he had just been given. "Don't try to speak." He whispered softly, hands tenderly capturing the mech's badly damaged face. Fingertips stroked across the undamaged portions of the mech's facial plates, hoping to sooth him if he could. "Just conserve your strength." _

_"You… do exist…" Wheeljack's head lightly dropped back, his head turning, split lips touching against one palm, kissing him lightly. "I… searched…" _

_"What?" He had never before met this mech, of that Thundercracker was certain, there was no memory file that shimmered in his mind that even hinted… Their foreheads touched ever so gently, their optics meeting. "We have never met." _

_"I know… but…" _

_The mech's chassis lifted and fell beneath Thundercracker's own, their sparks merging together, brushing and caressing softly, sending out flares of pleasure skittering through both of them, helping to dull the Autobot's pain as Thundercracker had no more sedatives or anything left to offer but himself. _

_"Been… looking… for you…" _

_"JACKIE!" A bellow rang out from somewhere in the shadows of the trench, heavy pedes were charging right for them. "I'm coming buddy!" _

_"Shhh." Thundercracker dipped his head and their lips brushed softly, the kiss was too sweet, energon lingering on the Seeker's lips. Forcing his spark to withdraw from the merge, he trembled at the loss, knowing that with their parting he would be loosing something that could never be replaced. _

_Wheeljack struggled to lift his arms again as it flopped to the side as his guardian drew away from him, a cry of despair ringing from the Wrecker's lips. "No, don't leave…" But his fingers grasped air as his armour slipped back over his spark again, the new energy and energon surging through his components thanks to the mech who had risked his spark to save him. _

_"Wheeljack." The mech swallowed hard at the sound of that name from his own lips, wanting nothing more than to return to his side as he retreated, hearing the sound of those heavy pedes coming closer. It was safe enough to leave the now fully conscious Autobot to his teammate. "Stay safe, my Spark." _

_The white Autobot's fingers managed to catch around slender ones, holding on for several moments attempting to memorise every part of the blurry image before his damaged optics. Those digits however slipped out of his grasp, his hand stretching out again but only grasped air. "No!" _

_The Seeker fled, knowing he had no other choice as Bulkhead came to a halt at his friend side only to hear the mech's howl of utter despair that made tears slide down Thundercracker's cheekplates to know he had just left behind something that had so deeply completed him._

* * *

><p><strong>Decepticon Warship, <strong>_**Vicious**_**, Deep Space**

Thundercracker watched the slow rise and fall of Wheeljack's chassis, hearing the soft sounds of his systems as they continued on during the mech's recharge cycle. Hand reaching out, his fingertips brushed against one cheekplate and let out a soft sigh, his spark fluttering wildly within him. "You're here." It was a hushed whisper that escaped him, the mech swallowing convulsively around the lump that seemed to be forming in the back of his vocals. "Jax."

The large Wrecker rolled onto his side, his face tipping up into the warm contact, nuzzling against the Seeker's palm. Optics drifted half open and a smile immediately came to his lips at the sight of Thundercracker. "…Beautiful…"

"You should try to get a little more recharge." The wound had been deep, something that had left the medic a touch panicked over, thankful that he had had long enough to seal it properly and finally repair completely the moment the white Autobot had been dumped across his berth and the door locked behind the two snickering Vehicons.

"Its been a long time since someone called me that." Memory files swirled on the edges of his mind, teasing him a little with just how close he was to working out the mystery. "Not since near the beginning of the war."

_"Jackie?" Wheeljack gazed up into the haunted blue optics of his fellow Wrecker as Bulkhead leaned over him. "By the Pit… What did they do to you?" _

_Sprawled on his back, his chassis freed of its armour to reveal energon streaked internals and a deep wound in one side where a magnesium round had burned right through his frame and where the hand of a medic had helped coax his fuelpump into continuing to beat. His armour was still warm and sensitive from the warm weight of his saviour, his spark beating wildly, demanding the return of its other half. _

_His head flopped to one side, gazing after the retreating Seeker, his lips parting as a sound escaped him, his hand stretching out again towards the blur that had been his Primus-sent Guardian. _

_"I'll slag the fraggers who did this to you, I swear it." _

"You." The word escaped him as his blue optics widened and he reached out and caught Thundercracker's wrist, preventing the medic from backing away from him. Shifting to sit up, he tugged the mech down onto the edge of the bed so that their faces were level. "It was you that day. The battle for the Hydrax Plateau. I thought I had imagined you, the medics were amazed I was still functioning when I was brought in, some suspected I had been treated by a medic. It was that which prevented my death that day." In those first battles he had been untested in true combat and he had learnt just how much punishment his frame could take.

"…I…" Thundercracker actually retreated, but Wheeljack held fast. "Wheeljack, please let go."

"Not this time." He was just as stubborn as Thundercracker, his fingers tugged on that wrist until it lifted up and his mouth traced a slow circle against the medic's sensitive palm, glossa tracing along every seam.

A shiver flickered up along Thundercracker's spinal plating, his lips parting as he attempted to draw in cool air once more. Yet, every touch was like fire along his sensor nodes, intense and washing through him like no other touch ever had. Skywarp had never compared to this, no matter how much Thundercracker had wanted it to, it had never sparked the same heat deep within him, the need to be entwined with this battle hardened warrior was overwhelming.

"I have searched every star, every planet looking for you." He had found paradise once, tasted its splendour and he would never again lose it. The Autobot would have rather have his spark extinguish then lose this mech. "I have always continued to search… desperate for what we had for such a brief moment. You said it before, I belong to you."

"Wheeljack." Utter surrender was what this mech wanted from him, he knew one taste, just one more kiss and there would be no more escaping the electrifying connection forged between them. "I…"

Strong arms coiled around Thundercracker's body, drawing the mech into his lap and slanting his mouth down across the protesting one, swallowing every sound that wanted to escape. Glossa sweeping along the part of those lips, he teased and taunted with slow licks until they parted and he devoured every inch given to him. His hands pressed palm down against warm spinal plating and lifted upwards, tracing every spinal plate until he reached where the beautiful wings joined the mech's back. Fingers spreading, his thumbs dipped beneath and rubbed upwards, a moan of pleasure had the blue mech melting helplessly into the strong arms the surrounded him.

Head tipping to the side, he whispered. "I'm going to make you forget every other that has touched you. I will sear away any memory you have of them, I will be all you know, all you remember."

Suddenly the doors hissed open and Skywarp strode right in, halting the moment he caught sight of the two mechs half tangled together on the berth, his mouth half opened as if to say something.

Instantly Wheeljack was dropping Thundercracker gently onto the berth behind him, coming up into a crouch and reached back for his swords, only to remember they were still in the Seeker's possession. His jaw clenched, lips peeling back in a silent snarl as he prepared himself to defend his Seeker from the black mech when a pair of arms suddenly coiled around him, restraining him, before he could lash out.

"Don't." Thundercracker whispered against Wheeljack's audio, dropping a soft kiss against one finial.

"Well I'll be fragged silly." Skywarp actually grinned, leaning one shoulder against the doorframe and regarded the two on the berth with a flash of bemusement. "So _this_ is what you've been pining for, Thunder. I have to commend your choice." Crimson optics swept the length of Wheeljack's frame for a moment before his grin turned into something more interested.

"Warp!"

The black mech lifted both hands to defend himself against Thundercracker's indignant snarl. "Hey, I tried to wait long enough so I didn't interrupt anything." One optical ridge lifted in bemusement. "Let me guess, you just finally were going to get to the good part?"

"Primus save me from his sense of what he considers humour." His voice was soft against Wheeljack's audio, while he slowly relaxed his hold around the powerful Wrecker.

"'Nother one of yours? Dark Guard?" The Autobot's jaw worked as he regarded Skywarp, clearly not pleased at all over the fact the mech was giving Thundercracker a rather heated once over. "Another charade?"

"Mostly." Crossing his arms across his chassis, Skywarp pressed his lips together and considered Wheeljack. "What he said about… crippling me was true. If you're going to jump him, Autobot, I suggest you don't play with any other at the same time. Medics make the best lovers and the worst enemies."

"_Skywarp_."

"Alright, alright." Skywarp huffed softly, though he was still grinning at the pair. "I've got what you wanted, Thundercracker. I still say it's a waste blowing this ship up… but I'm not going to say no to some good fireworks."

At Wheeljack's enquiring look, the medic flushed slightly, resting his face into the back of the Wrecker's shoulder, body fitting between the mech's doorwings. "It is my intention of rigging explosives on this vessel when it reaches Earth orbit to prevent any of the troops on board being deployed on Earth to reinforce the _Nemesis_. I know this class of vessel… Skywarp can teleport the explosives into the right sections when we get the chance…"

"But it would be good if there was a distraction." Skywarp's optics dropped to meet the cool thoughtful blue of the Autobot. "If you don't mind playing it."

The Wrecker's lips turned upwards as he glanced between the two Seekers. "Just tell me where and when and I'll do the rest."

* * *

><p><strong>I rather like Skywarp. He's an interesting character and I really do feel like maybe making Wheeljack just a little jealous about Thundercracker and Skywarp's past. I'm tempted to write another chapter for this or the first chapter for SoundwaveXBlaster tomorrow XD Who knows! <strong>


	3. Part 3: Sounded

**Author's Note: This makes references to the opening events in the story 'Shelter: Voice In The Wilderness'. Hope you like it! I'm actually coming to like Skywarp. Bad sense of humour but a good bot. **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing? SIGH**

* * *

><p><strong>Kaon, Cybertron [Past]<strong>

_"Insanity!" Skywarp barked out as he paced across the expanse of the room, his vivid optics flickering from Thundercracker's face to that of Soundwave, his jaw clenching sharply. "This is insanity, Trinemate." _

_"Is it really?" The medic questioned, his lips pressed together as his violet optics followed the passage of his Trinemate as he walked the open expanse before the windows in Soundwave's quarters in Kaon. "Can you honestly think either of us will survive this if we don't?" _

_"I doubt anyone can…" _

_There was a clatter of several crystals against the tabletop before where Thundercracker was sitting, a dozen pretty gems glimmered up at Skywarp as he stopped before it, gazing down at what remained of their fellow freedom fighters. "Tell that to them!" Thundercracker practically snarled it as he rose to his pedes, waving a hand before him, optics flashing dangerously. "Tell that to the hundred more like them. Would you see our entire race be reduced to ashes? I can see it already, Skywarp, I can already seen the hopelessness in the faces of so many." _

_"Its _treason_."_

_"How so?" Thundercracker argued. "Is Megatron Primus?" Optics narrowed sharply, the mech's jaw working as he watched so many emotions flicker across the mech's facial plates, knowing he had taken a risk bringing Skywarp to Soundwave. "Can you stand there and tell me you can look at the remains of who were once our comrades and turn your back on them?" _

_"This is war." The mech whispered softly. _

_"No." His finger pointed out towards Kaon at all the shimmering lights of the city just beyond the window and beyond that the distant flashes of battle taking place as the rioting and fighting was spreading through the streets of every city on Cybertron. "It's a massacre. Every orn the streets are filled with more and more dead, we were fighting for our freedom from the castes, not for the slaughter of innocents for their credits." _

_"Megatron…" _

_"Has lost his way." Thundercracker's expression was stark, violet eyes reflecting his grief and pain. "This was not what we intended Skywarp, what we wanted was for our world to once again be a place free of tyrants, but all we have done is place another one in power." _

_"What do you say about all this, Soundwave?" Skywarp questioned, his optics narrowing on the silent violet coloured mech whom was watching them from behind an opaque visor. "What do you say to all of Thundercracker's _thoughts_?" _

_"I have never been a Decepticon." _

_Now that sent the black Seeker reeling back, his crimson optics wide as he stared at the mech known to be the most fiercely loyal to Megatron. "You lie." _

_"I am as I was made." A hand lightly touched across his spark, his head tipping forwards as he regarded the engineer for a long moment, clearly scrutinising his reactions. "I am forged from the same dark despair as Megatronus, but I have seen the light…" The mech's shoulders sagged slightly, as if the weight of the world had settled upon them, such sadness seeping into his every movement. "And I have sworn to protect it." _

_"You are both insane." _

_"I have never been saner." The Seeker whispered softly, his expression imploring. "Do you trust me, Skywarp?" _

_"Frag it, Thunder, see sense! The moment Megatron catches wind of this…" Crimson optics reflected his concern, his jaw clenching as his hands flexed in agitation. _

_"I would rather allow my spark to be extinguished than do nothing." _

_"Fine." Skywarp swallowed, his gaze flickering between the two. "For you, Thundercracker, I'll join this lunacy. Someone has to watch your back." _

_"Thankyou, my friend."_

_"I hope to Primus you know what you're getting us both into."_

* * *

><p><strong>Decepticon Warship, <strong>_**Vicious**_**, Deep Space**

Heat flowed up across Thundercracker's wings, setting every sensor alight within his body, his hips arching restlessly behind the powerful frame that had him pinned down to the berth. A soft moan escaped him as his head turned slightly to the side and he managed to catch a glimpse of burning blue optics regarding him with a tiny smirk. Scarred lips parting as he licked from the tip of one trembling wing down along the edge and to where it joined his body, while large battle-roughened servos stroked along the underside and across them. Thumbs caressed little circles as he went.

His hands curled into the blankets beneath him, his optics shuttering tightly as another heated wash of pleasure skittered down along his spinal plating and made him squirm against his lover's hips. "Jack…" He whimpered softly. "What… _ah_…!" Lips parted, Thundercracker arching again, becoming aware of the fact that every inch of his wings was hypersensitive.

"How long has it been?" Wheeljack's mouth brushed up along the side of the Seeker's throat, lingering over the rapidly throbbing pulse of energon surging through the mech's systems. Finally, he teased the corner of those parted lips, glossa slipping inside as he devoured the mech beneath him, the sweetness of that mouth intoxicating in the most delicious of ways. "How long has it been since another has had you?"

"I…" A moan escaped, his violet optics half shuttering as his hips writhing again, though he almost yelped when denta nipped at the tip of one wing, before the faint marks were soothed. "A quarter vorn…"

"So you're hungry?"

"Yes... for you…!"

The Seeker was rolled onto his back, his wings being coiled in the sheet beneath him deliberately, the fabric teasing his wings as those large hands continued to stroke up and down almost lazily. Legs spreading, he could feel the heat of the other mech's arousal through the armour separating them. Hands reaching upwards, his fingertips were tracing over every inch of Wheeljack's face, committing it to memory, while lips brushed against the sensitive pads, drawing several into that hot mouth and nibbling on them.

Blue armour was being stripped away from Thundercracker's body, palms mapping out the length of his frame before cupping his aft lightly, thumb tracing over where his spike was still trapped within his codpiece. "Too many times… I've _dreamed_ of you." Mouth tracing the curves of the mech's spark chamber, he was taking his time, nipping at wiring and teasing his fingertips between warm plating. "I've imagined this moment." Blue optics peered up at Thundercracker as his body slowly travelled downwards, hands catching the trembling thighs and parting them, his mouth dropping between them. "Having you with me, completely me as only you can."

Wheeljack's glossa licked up the trails of lubricant that were smeared across the smooth thighs and intimate plating, groaning in appreciation at the heady taste he was given. Nothing could compare to this, to hearing the erotic whimpers and cries of his name as he tormented the trembling Seeker.

Finally removing the last barrier, his mouth was immediately pressed to that wet valve, licking up every last drop of lubricant that had escaped, before his glossa slipped inside. Searching for just a moment he found the mech's sweetspot and brushed the tip of his glossa against it over and over again, while one hand lifted to stroke that twitching spike from base to tip. Thumb circling the head and spreading the drops of fluid over it, the roughened part of his finger rubbed along the sensitive underside. Mouth pressing harder against that entrance, he refused to let up, even when Thundercracker's writhing almost took the Seeker right off the berth.

Hands were desperate to hold onto something, his palms found the back of Wheeljack's helm, arching into the motions and holding the mech there as wave after wave of ecstasy smashed into him. With a shriek, the Seeker overloaded hard, his body spasming every drop was licked up, even the fluid that spilled down across the mech's fingers as he sagged, his frame shivering with need.

"Jax." He breathed, heat rising from his frame as he sprawled there, legs parted on either side of the mech, his lips parted and wet from the Autobot's kisses. "Please." His arms lifted in welcome, his deep affection plain on every line of his facial plates.

Wheeljack went willingly, his hips sliding into the cradle of his lover's, his arms sliding beneath the slender body, lifting him and sliding his palms across those wings again. Soon there was no more armour, nothing but air separating them. The tip of his spike caressed the teased entrance for a moment, before thrusting in slowly. A hiss of pleasure slipped passed his lips as the tight valve clamped down around him, drawing him in deeper until his hips touched that smooth aft.

One arm curled around his back, fingertips trailing intricate patterns down across his spinal plating, while the other curled around the back of his helm, drawing him in for a kiss. Their mouths met fiercely, glossas tangling together, when they moved together. Both were being devoured in the uncoiling heat of their passion that had been waiting for vorns to be ignited. Legs coiled around the back of Wheeljack's hips, forcing him in even deeper as the Seeker arched and shifted, sweetspot rubbing back and forth against the heated spike thrusting into him.

"I'm so sorry." Thundercracker breathed against Wheeljack's audio, hugging the Autobot even closer to him as his spark casing slowly slid apart, bearing his very spark to his lover. Lips brushing softly against one finial lightly, his hips arched when the thrusts came more deeply, their bodies jerking with the force. His own spark soon was revealed and the moment they touched.

The first intimate brushed of spark to spark brought a soft sob of relief from the Seeker, his arms tightening as overload edged ever closer, their bodies straining to keep up, the precipice so close. The merge was a long time in coming, their sparks brushing once, twice before swirling together and leaving both suddenly awash in a mix of memory files and raging emotions.

Violet optics widened in surprise, gazing up into honest blue and another soft sob escaped him. Arms coiled tightly around Wheeljack, a silent promise that he never would let him go again. His body clamped down tightly, inner muscle cables squeezing erotically.

And they both overloaded together, their voices mingling as pleasure erupted from within, sparks singing with joy at the reunion. It blinded the pair, their world spinning and spirally from the stars and back.

It was only a long time after that Wheeljack slowly became aware of the world around him again, his cheekplate resting against a slender shoulder, his entire frame pinning down that of his lover. Shifting, he was about to move to one side when legs tightened around the back of his thighs, keeping him down and blanketing the Seeker beneath him. His spark pulsed happily, the blending of their minds something that felt so natural, he couldn't say another for a long moment.

One smaller servo was pressed against one of Wheeljack's own, their fingers laced together intimately off to one side. Fingers squeezing Wheeljack's softly, Thundercracker turned his head just enough so that their mouths met again for a tender little kiss that seemed to go on forever.

"Never leave me again." Wheeljack's voice was a touch husky from their joining, but he managed to get out the words, his cheekplate rubbing against his lover's softly in an warm gesture of affection. "Or I will hunt you down… and maybe cuff you again."

The Seeker's laughter was sweet and gentle, while he let out a purr of happiness, his arm remaining coiled around his companion. "Just try to get rid of me."

* * *

><p><strong>Earth Orbit<strong>

Alarms screamed overhead, as Wheeljack's blades sliced through the last of the guards around his ship. Optics lifted as he caught a glimpse of black from one corner of his vision and the next moment the forcefield generator for the main doors exploded with a well placed detonation. He had to admit, he was definitely impressed by some of the skills the two Seekers had worked.

Spinning, he launched a grenade that Thundercracker had fashioned for him into the middle of a squad of guards that had just passed through the main doors. The canister erupted the moment it hit the centre guard, gas hissing out from either end as it dropped to the ground, spinning and skittering away. The moment the gas soaked into the vents of the Vehicons, they dropped like swatted fuel suckers, systems paralysed. "Nice."

Grinning, he was soon inside of his ship, the automatic connections hooking into his systems as he fired up the engines, weapons coming to bare and he blew out the main docking bay doors. A light touch on the engines and he was soaring out of the _Vicious_, heading straight down towards the now familiar green and blue planet below. The starship spun and weaved, while a rain of lasers and plasma bursts jolted against the thin shielding he had managed to rig up after he had left Earth the first time to return to the stars.

Every alert was blaring loudly as the pale blue of Decepticon Warship's engines slowly began to turn a searing red as tiny explosions peppered along the hull of the ship, venting atmosphere, equipment and Vehicons outwards into the inky expanse.

Wheeljack pushed his engines, to the maximum to get enough distance between himself and the ship, when he heard a soft 'hiss-pop', his head whipping around and spotting the two Seekers, sprawled across the floor in the back of his small 'living' area.

Suddenly his vessel was slammed from behind by a shockwave radiating out from the brilliant nova of what had once been the _Vicious_. Shrapnel pinged off the shields and streaked like stars around them as they began their descent down through the atmosphere, buffeted by upper atmospheric winds.

"Slag." Skywarp grumbled. "I liked that ship."

"Thundercracker?" Wheeljack questioned, after hearing only Skywarp's muttered words.

"He's out of it, Autobot." The Seeker responded easily, his arms wrapped around his Trinemate and carefully lifted the limp form of the medic into one of the crash seats, strapping him in before dropping into the co-pilot's seat beside Wheeljack. "Its just the shock of the long distance teleporting. Perfectly normal."

"Better be." The Wrecker hissed softly, glancing back again to see the blue medic being jostled about by the ship's movements, but was reassured that he could see no visible damage on the blue and silver armoured frame.

"Cynical."

"_Cautious_."

"No wonder he likes you." Skywarp remarked. "Though I owe you a scrapping for not finding him again sooner."

"And I owe you a sword through the tanks for taking advantage of his trust."

"Hey!" The black seeker glared at Wheeljack sharply, arms crossing against his chassis and clearly looking not so pleased about the mention of that particular situation. "Mitigating circumstances on that one. I intended on breaking it off… alright? You try interfacing with a mech who is longing for someone else entirely." Skywarp gave Wheeljack a rather pointed look. "You ever 'faced a pining seeker before? Its not good for one's confidence in their performance."

"You still shouldn't have betrayed him like that."

"Well, frag you." Crimson optics rolled heavenward. "He already punished me for that one."

One optical ridge lifted at that, Wheeljack had thought that they had been joking when they had so openly argued over such a thing.

"You thought he wasn't serious?" Skywarp huffed softly, clearly indignant over the entire incident. "He _neutered_ me for a hundred orns. He's a slagging medic." A glare was shot back at unconscious Thundercracker for a moment. "He isn't violent, but he can think of _very_ creative ways of getting revenge. You don't want to know what he did to some other mechs stupid enough to cross him."

For some rather odd reason, Wheeljack felt a jolt of pride in Thundercracker's cunning.

"Though I have to admit, I wish he had left Starscream's vocal components offline for longer. The lack of whining was pure bliss."

* * *

><p><strong>Mount St. Hilary, Oregon-Nevada Border, Earth<strong>

"I'm getting a reading on over twenty life signs." First Aid was dropping to one knee joint beside a stasis locked Prowl, his optics widening at the sight of welding that had been done along the length of the mech's legs. His fingertips traced the unfamiliar pattern, thumb brushing against them and attempting to recall if he had ever seen repairs done in such an interesting manner. "Most of them are faint… I have a feeling the minerals in the surrounding rock is hiding a lot more… the crew compliment of the Ark was over one hundred."

_'The medbay is salvageable.'_ Ratchet passed along several images of the dimly lit space and several bodies that were trapped against the walls and under overturned equipment. _'Most of the crew I have seen are in deep stasis lock from the initial impact. We will be able to take our time tending to them, this ship will need to be cleared out so that we can find all the survivors.'_

First Aid tipped his head up to gaze at the pair of massive bots that stood in the entrance way shoulder to shoulder. Bulkhead and Breakdown looked around them at the damage. "I need both of you to start clearing out the rubble between here and the medical bay on the lower level. If you see any survivors, don't touch them, just send back a scan of their vitals to me. The last thing we need is for some of them to be waking up and attempting to move with some of the injuries they have." His gaze dropped back down to Prowl, his expression softening.

"I…" Breakdown actually looked uncertain, his one golden-amber optic regarding First Aid his shoulders slumping.

The medic's lips turned upwards into a small smile as he gazed into that single optic, taking in everything about the mech before his smile grew. "Welcome to the team, Breakdown."

The mech's mouth opened, remained that way at the words and blinked sharply.

Bulkhead clapped his new partner on the back, almost knocking Breakdown forwards with the force of it. "Just don't get any ideas, 'Down. You pull your weight, Optimus doesn't like lazy afts."

"Its surprising the 'Cons haven't decided to pay us a visit."

Considering the fact that it had been a practical warzone just outside the entrance to the _Ark_ for well over half a joor, Bulkhead and Breakdown shattering any and all equipment that the humans had been using to dig their way through into other sections of the _Ark_. They also didn't want to risk Silas being able to monitor their activities, the last thing they needed was to worry about that particular human while they were attempting to revive the crew of the _Ark_.

"I picked up a few garbled transmissions from the _Nemesis_," Breakdown admitted, his optics flickering to those around him and feeling a twinge of guilt over the fact that he had betrayed all he had truly ever known for so long, yet knowing in the same moment it was what he had truly wanted. "It seems like they won't be doing anything for a good orn… The whole ship has practically gone into a case of meltdown."

"What do you bet it was good old Screams?"

First Aid's mouth opened and closed as he finally recognised the tiny fine welds that ran across the length of some of Prowl's fuel lines, recognising it from repair work he had once done on Blaster. "It wasn't him."

Optimus appeared in the doorway, his blue optics reflecting his worry and also his interest over the fact that there was now an unknown player in this crazy ever changing battlefield.

"Soundwave." Breakdown supplied. "He was the one that lead me here to the Ark. I didn't know exactly what for…"

_"Wheeljack to Bulkhead." _

"Jackie?" Bulkhead's optics brightened at the sound of the Wrecker's familiar voice.

_"Hey, Bulk, I'm running hot, need landing coordinates." _

It seemed Earth had become the centre of a very large web of conflicting agendas.

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe. Its going to be interesting seeing Breakdown fight with his own feelings about joining the Autobots and when he eventually has to face Knockout over his betrayal. <strong>


	4. Part 4: Silenced

**Author's Note: I feel good about this story. I think it turned out well and was able to bring these two mechs together! And also made me realise I'm a Skywarp fan. XD Though the next story in this will more than likely be either BumblebeeXSilverbolt or JazzXProwl, because either would serve for the next big plot mover! **

**Disclaimer: I own Maxwell Darby (hope you like him)!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Mount St. Hilary, Oregon-Nevada Border, Earth<strong>

"_PRIME_!" Ironhide's voice echoed through the _Ark_, the massive warrior stood before the entrance way, his broad shoulders filling the space and protecting all those within. His navy blue optics sparked brilliantly, his massive heavy cannon being lifted to point directly at the lead helicopter that hovered within visual range. The ancient fighter was prepared to permanently offline to protect those of his race that had managed to survive for so long.

Optimus shifted up beside his bondmate, a hand lightly pressing against Ironhide's arm, asking the warrior to keep his restraint and not fire upon the helicopters that had the markings of the US Military. "Not yet."

"Optimus! Ironhide! Please… do not shoot them down." First Aid was appearing in the entry way behind the two massive mechs, his blue optics wide with worry.

"Stay behind…!"

But before Ironhide could finish, the medic had actually pushed past the two of them, blue and white frame streaking out into the open and clearly hoping that both mechs would not risk accidentally hitting him by turning their weapons on the humans. His arms were out from his sides, his head lifted as he let out a soft Cybertronian plea for understanding to both of his commanding officers. "Do not shoot them!"

_'Prime.'_ Agent Fowler's voice came over the main Autobot channel that the team used, his tone no longer sarcastic or even hostile, it was… hopeful. _'We are not here to fight. These men and I wish to assist you in any way we can, I owe you my life and so do my men. We failed to protect First Aid when he showed us nothing but friendship and trust. I wish to repay that debt.' _

"Please, Sir." First Aid whispered softly, his optics lifting to gaze up at the dozen large military transport choppers. "I ask that you continue to trust in William Fowler as you have in the past. Cybertron might be dark, but Earth is _alive_ and so are our people." Glancing between Ironhide and Optimus, the medic desperately hoped that his plea would not fall on deaf audios. "We are not alone."

"I say you give these organics another chance." Wheeljack grinned as he dropped down behind the massive of hovering helicopters. His blue optics shone with a look that spoke of far more than had been there the last time any one of the Autobots presence had seen. "What could it honestly hurt?"

However, a slightly stunned silence followed when two Decepticon branded Seekers stood on either side of the Wrecker, two very recognisable mechs that spoke of either betrayal or something far more intense being at hand.

"Jackie?" Bulkhead was glancing at his long time friend and then at the pair of Seekers and hesitated.

"Can you handle this little situation?" Thundercracker asked his lover, when he leaned up on his pedes and pressed a soft kiss against the mech's jaw, love burning in his violet optics. He smiled when an arm coiled around his waist and held him close, fingertips trailing along the underside of his wings teasingly. "There are wounded here and I would…"

"Put those weapons away, before I put them away for you." Ratchet's snarl jerked everyone back to the moment, his frame shoving its way between Optimus and Ironhide, literally knocking both mechs sideways and their weapons were almost wrenched from their surprised grips as the white and crimson medic strode towards his bondmate. "Just let the fragging humans help. Right now I don't give a flying scrap about anything but the ship load of patients that require medical aid. If you're here to assist us, get started." His last words were for a grinning Thundercracker.

"I like him." The Seeker smirked before hurrying past the guards and into the ship, not even looking back at anyone in particular.

Ratchet's palms smoothed over First Aid's shoulders, drawing the smaller medic to him for a moment and against his broader chassis, his head dipped and he pressed a soft kiss to the mech's forehead lightly. "Always the compassionate one, and always willing to make my fuelpump seize in fear."

"I thought you liked a little bit of excitement." First Aid breathed out softly, his palms sliding against the mech's chassis over his spark. A finger lifted to press against Ratchet's lips, silencing any more protest or words that might escape. "Back to work."

Wheeljack couldn't help but almost laugh at the rather interesting comedy that seemed to be going down around him. "I thought the first visit was _interesting_."

Bulkhead couldn't help his own smile, his large hand thumping on his fellow Wrecker's back, before waving at the bots surrounding them. "Trust me, Jackie, it gets a whole lot weirder."

"Your presence, Special Agent Fowler, would be most welcome." Optimus tipped his head slightly towards the waiting humans before glancing back towards the silently laughing Skywarp. "As is yours if you have come with Wheeljack in peace."

"As long as I don't have to leave in pieces, I'm sure I can give you, _Dustkickers_, a helping servo." Though Skywarp's mind was already examining the entire mountainside with the trained optic of a mech who had worked many a vorn with the best of the Engineering Guild.

* * *

><p>Thundercracker's soft laughter echoed down the debris filled corridor, the flash of blue wings making Wheeljack's attention stray as he couldn't help the smile that came to his own lips at the sight. Even though he was not the cause of such laughter, he didn't mind, loving the sound of it and knowing there was someone out there that <em>was<em> for him. The mindless task of clearing the corridors didn't even bother the Wrecker because for long breems he could listen to the former Decepticon arguing finer points of medicine with Ratchet.

"Jackie."

Blue optics suddenly flickering away from the sight and sound of his lover to turn and face Bulkhead, his smile fading a little as he caught the troubled glint in the mech's optics. "Hey, Bulk."

"What happened?" Bulkhead's voice was soft.

For some reason, the question surprised Wheeljack, his blue optics darting from his friend's face and then down to the ground as he continued to scan the piles of things that littered the corridor. "I…"

"He's a Decepticon."

"_No_. No, he's not." He stopped and rubbed a hand lightly over his scarred features and twisted around to regard his long time friend and for the first time felt he could actually tell the mech _why_. Why despite his desire to remain as he had on Earth the first time he had come, he had never been able to give up the longing for what he had finally found again. "The battle for the Hydrax Plateau."

Bulkhead's expression darkened, remembering well the sight of his friend sprawled out and practically left for dead.

"Its not what you think. I…" Fingers rubbed lightly over his chassis, remembering that first feel of that warm spark brushing against his own, his optics shuttering in remembered appreciation. "…He merged with me… kept me from joining the Matrix. I would have been incinerated by the Decepticon bombs if he hadn't dragged me to safety risking himself in the process." Groaning slightly, he sagged down onto a nearby overturned piece of equipment and rubbed at his optics, desperate to express exactly what he had been experiencing for so long. "I've been searching for him, Bulk. Scouring the universe for him… Its why I could never stay… why I…"

"Wheeljack." Thundercracker poked his head back around the corner, grinning as he was about to make a comment, but the moment he spotted the mech, he was instantly beside him. A servo lightly stroked across one sensitive finial, tracing the edges of it.

An arm wrapped around Thundercracker's waist, keeping the mech close and pressing him against one side, still craving the physical closeness that they had experienced on the ship.

"You keep frowning like that, Lover, I'll just have to find a way to put that smile right back on those lips of yours."

"Can you believe those two?" Skywarp snickered softly, never far away from the action and always willing to put in a comment or two, whether they were appropriate or not. "I swear… the squishy words and snuggling will leave you with rust on the audios."

"Another word out of you, Warp and…"

"You'll what?" The mech smirked, crimson optics flashing with amusement. "_Neuter_ me again?"

"He…" Bulkhead's bright blue optics widened and glanced towards Thundercracker with a new level of respect, but also a hint of apprehension. "He really deactivated his reproductive circuitry?"

"From what's been mentioned, I would say its true." Wheeljack lifted his helm slightly and gave his lover an interested glance.

"I could turn off your altitude sensors."

"You won't _dare_." Skywarp hissed, actually backing up a step and glancing quickly around. "No Seeker would ever…"

Thundercracker took a step forwards and instantly there was a soft 'hiss-pop' as Skywarp evaporated from the spot he had been standing in, quite ready to retreat when threatened with the loss of some of his flight ability.

Both Wheeljack and Bulkhead were grinning at each other, while Thundercracker huffed softly in mild irritation before a smile tugged at his own lips. "For all his words and lack of personal finesse… I wouldn't have anyone else at my back in a fight." The Seeker sighed softly, his expression showing his own weariness of fighting. Being pulled around between Wheeljack's outstretched legs, he leaned into the arms that wrapped around his body warmly.

* * *

><p><strong>MECH Headquarters, Shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Earth<strong>

"Maxwell _Darby_."

The man's head whipped up at the sound of Silas's low grating words, his pale blue eyes not revealing the deep fear that lurked just beneath the surface. The scientist nudged his glasses further up his nose, peering through the lenses at the ash blonde solder that practically dominated the room with his presence.

"I've found something very interesting that you forgot to mention." A single sheet of paper was placed down onto the workbench and slowly slipped across the table towards the sandy haired scientist. "I have to say, your genetic disposition towards resistance is quite dominant in your offspring. The resourcefulness too I have to note." Silas rubbed his fingertips down lightly over his jaw tracing the length of the scar that ran from temple to chin, his eyes reflecting the calculating mind contained within. "Though he does have his mother's looks."

Maxwell Darby glanced down at the paper that had been pushed before him and every single ounce of colour that had been in his face immediately evaporated. There before him was the birth certificate of his only child listing both his own name and that of his wife. His fingers clenched sharply, his jaw working quickly and his gaze fixed on Silas.

"If you so much as lay a finger on them." His voice shook with the rage and hatred that consumed him. "I…"

"Will do what?" Silas's mouth almost seemed to twitch upwards in a silent laugh at the utter helplessness of the man before him. It always pleased him to see the brilliant scientist trapped like a fly within his web and know that there was absolutely no escape for him. "The moment your usefulness ends, so will your life and that of your precious wife and _son_."

Blue eyes knew that that threat was not an idle one, the man before him was known for his cruelty and Maxwell had witnessed it first hand when Silas had silenced one of his own men before they could sell him out. Death was second nature a man like Silas Pavlos. It clung to him, a stench that could never be washed away. "You will have my cooperation on project Doomsday only when I have proof that both of them are safe and unharmed and will stay that way."

Suddenly a gun was levelled between Maxwell's eyes, almost touching the wire rim frames that were perched there, a thumb clicked back the hammer, finger tensing on the trigger, the metal creaking softly in protest of the position the man held it in. "Do not think to play games with me, Darby."

"And do not think to threaten me as you do." The scientist didn't even flinch, even though the colour still remained out of his face, his blue eyes seeming even more vivid in his too pale face. "We both know the only reason you can even consider going after such large targets is because of my knowledge of Cybertronian technology."

"Yes… now that _was_ an interesting little surprise."

"My family in exchange for this." A hand gestured towards the almost unassuming object that sat on the nearby workbench. "Its either that or…" His blue eyes dropped to the gun that was still levelled with his head. "… After ten years there is little you can do to me that you haven't already done, you know well enough you need my cooperation." Even though every part of him loyal to those he had once worked with screamed at him for such a betrayal, his family came first.

Neither his son or his wife would ever truly understand why he had walked out on them that day so long ago… and they would probably never know. All he had ever wanted was to protect them from the enemies that had been lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on him, leaving had been his only way to protect them and keep them out of the line of fire. Barely anyone had ever known he _had_ had a family. Every day spent rotting in this cold isolated prison made him all the more aware of what he had missed out on.

His hand slid the paper aside and beneath it lay a single photograph, one that made his heart stop in his chest and his fingers still against the page. His gazed dropped to it, his throat working as he swallowed convulsively around the lump that had suddenly formed there. There was an image of his son, though it was slightly grainy and clearly had been taken from a damaged video recording, he would recognise his only child anywhere. The straight black hair and stormy blue eyes were so much like his mother's that it made his heart clench at the agony of losing the only woman he had ever loved to the fate the world had handed him.

However, his attention flickered to the corner of the image and the tiny glyphs that ran across the lower edge, his fingertip traced over them and he almost felt sick to his gut as he translated the designations into the Decepticon words. The impact of its presence was not lost on Maxwell.

"Did I forget to mention the fact that it seems both you and your son have an affinity for all things _Cybertronian_."

Two warring reactions started up in his gut, relief that he was quite certain these Cybertronians were in fact Autobots and would protect his son, but also the fact that they were now squarely in the sights of both the Decepticons and MECH. His eyes turned to the large explosive device that he had been instructed to create and silently promised he would do something… anything to prevent more deaths from falling onto his shoulders. "I will do as you have asked." And he just hoped that no one would be caught in the crossfire.

* * *

><p><strong>Mount St. Hilary, Oregon-Nevada Border, Earth<strong>

"Should I even ask where you learnt to do that?" Thundercracker let out a heated little puff of air, his chin resting lightly against one broad shoulder, his lithe frame blanketing Wheeljack's body. A soft moan escaped his lips when a hand slowly began to trail across one wing lightly, making him squirm and arch, when that spike pushed even more deeply into him, still partially hard from the long interface they had indulged in.

"Better you don't know." His lips quirked upwards, a sated, though slightly smug smile tugged at the corners of his scarred mouth, his glossa flicking out to lightly brush against the fingertips that traced them. Catching one digit, he drew it into his mouth and sucked on it heatedly, the tip of his glossa sliding back and forth and watching the hungry light darken those violet optics to a deep indigo.

"As soon as we find home… wherever you want that to be… we are getting a proper berth." The Seeker dropped his helm back down to rest against one broad shoulder, rubbing his cheekplate lightly against the metal, letting out a soft sigh.

As they both listened to the work still going on outside of the small room they had managed to get for themselves in the _Ark_. They both knew that no matter what life would throw at them, they would be together.

"I do… love you." Thundercracker whispered softly, palm spreading out across his lover's spark casing, fingertips trailing across it lightly.

And Wheeljack's curled around the Seeker's, squeezing them softly and gazing down into the beautiful optics that gazed up at him for a long moment with such genuine affection and love that it truly made his spark sing to know that he had brought such joy to this mech. "And I love you, my Guardian."

* * *

><p><strong>I might add another chapter in future, something that will let our two have some snuggling time together XD but they will definitely be turning up again as big presences in Bulkhead and Breakdown's story which will more than likely deal with the Wreckers.<strong>


End file.
